True to his word, hearings on worksite enforcement and E-Verify have been held. And at last, a draft of a mandatory E-Verify bill, current as of June 8, is circulating on Capitol Hill. Tentatively titled the “Legal Workforce Act” (LWA) and labeled a "Discussion Draft," the proposal would profoundly change hiring processes in the United States, and introduce expensive compliance obligations on all employers. It would also increase the burdens on federal and state courts and on public and private prisons by creating a host of new LWA criminal penalties involving sentences to run consecutively (read: longer incarceration periods).

Curious readers can take an early peek at a few key provisions of Rep. Smith's proposal:

Mandatory Use Phased in. Employers would be required to enroll and use E-Verify by a set deadline based on the number of current workers. From the date LWA is enacted (if ever), E-Verify would be required within: 30 days for covered federal contractors; six months (for employers of 10,000 of more personnel); 12 months (for firms with 500 to 9,999 employees); 18 months (20 to 499 workers); two years (1 to 19 workers); and three years (for employers of farm workers).

E-Verify Use Only for New Hires. Except for federal vendors who must verify current employees assigned to a covered federal contract, the LWA will only apply to new hires. Also, it will not apply to farm workers returning to a former employer.

No Preemption of AZ-style E-Verify Laws. LWA would permit the proliferation of state laws and local rules mandating E-Verify use as recently blessed by the Supreme Court in U.S. Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting: "A State, locality, municipality, or political subdivision may exercise its authority over business licensing and similar laws as a penalty for failure to use the verification system".

Weakened Good Faith Compliance Defense. The LWA enfeebles the Sonny Bono amendment, enacted in 1996, which gives employers 10 days to correct technical or proceduralForm I-9compliance failures after ICE points them out. Although the Smith proposal would extend the curative period to 30 days, it would apply the defense only to compliance errors that are "de minimus." Good faith compliance would be available, however, for E-Verify queries that failed because the online system was unavailable at the time.

Criminal Penalties for false I-9 attestations and improper use of E-Verify. Individuals would face criminal penalties of up to two years and fines for knowingly furnishing a social security number or DHS-approved ID or authorization number that does not belong to the person or submitting such a number in an E-Verify screening. Helpfully, however, the LWA waives a good faith first violation of the unlawful hiring rules.

Change in retention period. Employers would now be required to hold on to electronic or paper verification records for the later of five years from date of hire (currently it's three years) or one year from date of termination.

Back in January, Rep. Smith characterized mandatory E-Verify usage as something of a no-brainer, or in business-speak as low-hanging fruit, suggesting that 70% of Americans would agree with his assertion. Given the sweeping harshness of the LWA, however, U.S. employers, proponents of immigrant rights and the American people must do more than just talk about Rep. Smith's "Discussion Draft." The fruity guantlet from the right has been hurled into the political arena. It's time to give it the Gallaghertreatment.

About The Author

Angelo Paparelli is a partner of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Mr. Paparelli, with a bicoastal practice in Southern California and New York City, is known for providing creative solutions to complex and straightforward immigration law problems, especially involving mergers and acquisitions, labor certifications and the H-1B visa category. His practice areas include legislative advocacy; employer compliance audits and investigations; U.S. and foreign work visas and permanent residence for executives, managers, scientists, scholars, investors, professionals, students and visitors; immigration messaging and speech-writing; corporate policy formulation; and immigration litigation before administrative agencies and the federal courts. He is frequently quoted in leading national publications on immigration law. He is also President of the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, a 30-firm global consortium of leading immigration practitioners. Paparelli’s blog and a comprehensive list of his many immigration law articles can be found at www.entertheusa.com. He is an alumnus of the University of Michigan where he earned his B.A., and of Wayne State University Law School where he earned his J.D. Paparelli is admitted to the state bars of California, Michigan and New York.

The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of ILW.COM.